Promoting change in government services and restoring them to their original goals
Government administration revolves around the idea of accomplishing the required tasks, But what is happening around the world today is that we no longer accomplish these tasks. Even political processes and government administration no longer meet the aspirations and expectations of society. We have also come to view the Department of Government Services as part of community institutions that have failed their audiences and fallen short of their aspirations.
Many countries are faced with a widening gap between authorized policy objectives and actual services provided to individuals on the ground, dubbed the "achievement gap". The idea of delivering government services emerged in the era of Weber's concept of bureaucracy, Frederick Taylor's approach to scientific management, and top-down organizational structures. The service distribution model was even borrowed from the industrial sector in which government factories provide identical services to all individuals.
The new concept of government management has been accompanied by greater scope for learning from the private sector, resulting in enhanced efficiency thanks to the use of common tools in the world of corporate governance. However, the focus has been on enhancing efficiency rather than raising value for individuals or finding solutions to challenges that are often thorny in nature.
There is a feeling of dissatisfaction with the procedures for providing government services that stems from several reasons. Individuals are no longer willing to accept services that do not meet their needs, This is because they have acquired greater knowledge and skills thanks to the spread of ICTs. Today, More informed individuals demand tailored services to meet their needs and the ability to make an impact.
On the other hand Slower GDP growth has put pressure on financing government services. In many developed countries, The high rate of aging in the population increases the government costs associated with this age group. Recent research has found that an individual's ability to take charge of his life plays an important role in achieving his well-being.
We have to find new ways to raise the value that government provides to society. If we are looking for a sustainable solution, Increasing government funding is not the solution. We do not deny the importance of the traditional tools used by governments to accomplish tasks, which include legislation, budgeting and regulation, But these tools are insufficient, as the government's capacities must be strengthened and its tools increased to be able to deal with unforeseen circumstances.
We must look at gaining the trust of individuals as a resource that is renewing but slowly. While traditional government tools rely on the use of powers, They often affect this trust negatively. Individual confidence in most OECD countries has faded at a pace that far preceded its renewal process. This was reflected in the decision-making process. The result is a vicious circle in which the lack of trust in governments challenges decision-making, which in turn leads to more and more distrust. And to get out of this loop, It must be reversed.
Governments need to master new ways of delivering value and look at it from a different perspective. Government services have relied heavily on the concept of separation between idea, action, thinking and implementation. The role of politicians and leaders is to think and plan as stakeholders implement ideas and provide standardized and replicable services to individuals.
We can transform ourselves if we learn how to collaborate with people to achieve results rather than just provide them with services. This requires a change in our perception of them and transforming their identity from individual consumers to citizens who contribute to adding valuable results. Thus we combine idea and implementation again. We must achieve the required changes in society with minimal authority and maximum value results. This can only be done by giving individuals an opportunity to participate in the process of creating public value. Bottom-up routing, experimentation and user-centric service design can accelerate the pace at which individuals are renewing trust in governments.
For its part, ICTs facilitate communication, communication and development of services within a unified network. Digital transformation significantly reduces transaction costs and digital transparency allows for coordinated response efforts.
The platform economy (also described from different perspectives as a sharing economy, self-employment economy or creative economy) offers enormous potential to the government sector because it allows the harmonization of needs and services offered easily and without the intervention of large enterprises. In doing so, it enables governments to innovate platforms that pave the way for enhancing public value.
Public value promotion is not achieved in government entities but through networks that include politicians, government employees, individuals, scientists, private companies, non-profits, and the media. An example of the platforms we are talking about is the Finnish model in dealing with mobility as a service. Such platforms should be developed based on an integrated system approach, It supports capacity development, open dialogue and the participation of all stakeholders. As for the leadership of the platform, It focuses on its strategic vision, building trust and providing a learning environment that includes channels for feedback and suggestions. The main focus is not only on what we accomplish, but on how we accomplish. Experiments and tests conducted within a particular system are among the most important elements of the platforms in which the government and private sectors are intertwined. We can say that these platforms represent the "headquarters of government agencies" of the future.
Context becomes one of the most important elements when talking about achieving public value through networks and human interaction. The needs of individuals vary, It is necessary to adapt to expectations and deal with their various challenges. The best way to do this is to enhance the capacity of the government sector to innovate and design services with the participation of the community. This requires reaching a common language between sectors and individuals and designing services based on the point of view of individuals, despite the work of isolated administrative bodies. Tools must also be devised to encourage the design of people-centred services and their needs. Here comes the role of open data that brings together the capabilities of individuals in order to control how data is used and shared (Mydata methodology) and add value to government services and commercial purposes.
We are witnessing this on the ground and we have the necessary technologies. But the challenge lies in the behavioral aspect and the methods used in organizing and accomplishing tasks, We continue to operate in inappropriate locations and relying on mechanisms that no longer work, and this is what needs to be changed. Change does not happen by mere thinking and judging the mind, It is about learning, experimenting, helping others observe their surroundings, learn, think and participate in the journey of change. We must learn to make a collective impact based on adaptable activities. Thus, we promote change in government services and return them to their original essence.
Source : This article was written by Olli Pekka Henonen, Director General of the Finnish National Education Council, Finland
